Storytelling in the scenic city: Southern Regional Honors Conference comes to Chattanooga

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly discusses the areas of the city explored by honors student groups. Photo by Angela Foster.

For the first time, the Southern Regional Honors Conference (SRHC) came to Chattanooga—bringing students from across the South to present research, explore the city and connect through shared stories.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Honors College and the Chattanooga State Community College Honors Program hosted the 2025 SRHC from Thursday through Saturday, March 27-29, at the Chattanooga Convention Center, welcoming more than 500 honors students and educators from 11 southern states.

The conference, a product of the Southern Regional Honors Council, annually brings together institutions to celebrate undergraduate research and honors education.

Dr. Linda Frost, dean of the UTC Honors College, said hosting the conference has been years in the making.

Dr. Linda Frost

“It felt really good to show off Chattanooga in every way,” she said.

Frost, who has attended the SRHC for nearly two decades, described the event as “sort of like a family reunion” for honors educators and students alike who come to the event, year after year.

“Honors always tries to put community first,” she said. “I think the southern region does that most powerfully.”

Through the City as Text portion of the conference, students explored different areas of Chattanooga—from the Riverwalk and Stringer’s Ridge to neighborhoods like Highland Park and Glass Street.

Frost emphasized the importance of experiencing the city as a learning environment, citing the Tennessee Aquarium—a location they visited during the conference—as an example.

“We want students to have a hands-on learning experience so that they understand the aquarium isn’t just a cool place to go, but a meaningful place to Chattanooga in the context of our development and growth,” she said.

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly joined students for the City as Text reflection session and offered his perspective on the city’s history, culture and evolution—describing the city as “a bit of a conundrum.”

“It’s where the upland South and the lowland South come together,” Kelly said. “It’s where Black culture and white culture—blues and bluegrass—come together.”

He spoke about each neighborhood the student groups explored and discussed their strengths and weaknesses. He also discussed the possibility of Chattanooga becoming North America’s first National Park City.

One week after the conference, that designation became official.

“The magical thing about that concept is the power that the land and water have to bring us together, people of all different stripes, which Chattanooga has a long history of doing well,” he said.

UTC Interim Chancellor Robert Dooley reflected on his own journey as a first-generation college student.

“During the conference, I encourage you to think about your stories—the stories you’ve already written and those to come,” Dooley said. “As many of you will agree, some of the most important and profound learning doesn’t always happen in the classroom.

“Whether at a conference in Chattanooga, Tennessee, or a body shop in Athens, Tennessee, on a Friday night, the stories that build community and connections can happen anywhere.”

UTC Honors College alum and Rhodes Scholar Robert Fisher returned to Chattanooga from his doctorate program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education to deliver a keynote speech. He offered advice on identity, mental health and the power of letting go of perfectionism.

Robert Fisher

“If you live a life committed to being yourself,” Fisher said, “the things that are meant for you will come to you.”

Fisher, who graduated from UTC in 2015, shared personal stories about growing up and the pressure to succeed. He spoke about writing as a way to understand himself more deeply and how storytelling can serve as a form of healing and growth.

“If you don’t do anything else, go off and create a story for yourself that makes you come alive, that feels that it’s an authentic representation of you, not what somebody else wanted you to do,” he said.

UTC sophomore Jaxson Hill, a Brock Scholar and psychology major from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, served as both a volunteer and presenter at the conference. Hill gave both an oral presentation and a poster presentation in addition to helping lead the Narrative 4 story exchange—an event that builds connectedness through story exchange.

“I’m very passionate about what I do, and I enjoy being able to take the research I’ve done and talk about it with people who are like-minded,” said Hill, who minors in both honors and criminal justice. “It’s really nice being with my community and doing something that feels meaningful.